Time stamp ribbon feed mechanism



Nov, 23, 1937. J. w. PARIS TIME STAMP RIBBON FEED MECHANISM I 2 Shees-Sheet l Filed Nov. 18, 1935 .Ill I INVENTOR. :loaf/:w MEE/s.-

ATTORNEYJ Nov. 23, l937. n J. w. FARls 2,100,027

TIME STAMP RIBBON` FEED MECHANISM F'iled Nov. 18, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. c/OSEPH M1-2 //s.

BY @LQ/ZA ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TIME STAMP RIBBON FEED MECHANISM Joseph 'W. Faris, CincinnatL'Ohio, assignor to The Cincinnati Time Recorder Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporationrof Ohio Application November 1s, 1935, serial No. 50,271

' 'z claims. (01.*101-336) My invention relates to time stamps4 such as are used in mail receiving rooms, hotels, garages,:

and the like, to recordthe date and time of a transaction, and more particularly to ribbon feed 5. mechanisms therefor. Such time stamps 'are usually clock actuated, and are provided with a series of printingwheels, adapted to print the year, month, day, hour (a. m. or p. m.) and minute ofV a recording. When a recording is made,V these printing wheels are pressed against a type their bulk, are of little valuein a time stamp; Y

which is a small compact instrument. Y

It is an objectr of my invention, therefore, to

provide a ribbon feed mechanism for aktime stamp,.which mechanism shall be very compact. It is another object of my invention to provide a mechanism as above outlined, which will vfeed* a type ribbon off one reel and onto another, and

which will automatically reverse itself when theend of the ribbon is reached.

It is a further object of my invention to provideiA a mechanism of the type described, which will be actuated to slightly feed the ribbon at each opl eration of the time stamp.

These and other objects of my invention which` will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparenty to one skilled in the art yupon reading these- 3`5'i specications, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe a preferred embodiment. -Reference is now Amade to the drawings which form a part hereof, and in which:- Figure 1j is a side elevation of my device, with parts in'section to show the construction.

Figure 2V is a detail view of one of the actuating ribbon guides. Y Y

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1. y f

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Figure V1.

Briefly in thepractice of my invention I provide a casing I, within'which is'mounted a clock motor which I have indicated generally at 2. The motor 2 is adapted to drive the printing wheels, which I have shown diagrammatically at .3, through appropriate gearing 4. The front of the casing is provided with a transparent opening 5 through which the clock face 6 may be observed. The time wheels and ribbon reels and related mechanisms are all mounted upon an innerframe 1, la, and the type ribbon 8 passes from the reel S over the guides I0 to the reel Il.

-The ribbon feeding mechanism comprises a 5 plate I2, which is mounted for sliding movement onrthe frame 'I by means of the headed guide pins I3 which ride in the slots I4 in the plateIZ. The plate I2Iis urged to remain in the position Y shown inrFigure 3 by the springs I5 which ex- 10 tend betweenl the cross members 1b of the inner frame and ears I2a. on the plate I2.

I Shave shown at I6 a steel ribbon, having drilled, reinforced end portions I6a. and I6bl. 'I'he end'portion Ita is hooked over a headed pin I'I l5 on kthe plate I2, and the ribbon passes downwardly vunder a guide member I8, and along the bottom of the casing toward the rear thereof. At the rear of the casing the ribbon I6 passes around another guide member I8, and is 20 connected: by means of a spring I9 to one arm of abell crank lever 20 which is pivotally mount- Y edy Von a bracket 2| fastened to the base of the device. Thus, as the bell crank lever 20 is rocked in a counter-clockwise direction as seen in Figure 25 1, the ribbon I6 is pulled toward the right, and

kthe plate I2 is pulled downwardly. The operating lever which carries the printing block 22 is shown at 23, and Vis journaled on the shaft 24 which is mounted in bosses 25 on the casing. An extension 30 shown in YFigure l by the compression spring 28 4o which bears against the rear wall of the casing I and against the inside of the lever 26, and is held in position by the bosses 28a and 28h. The lever 26 is actuated by the operating lever 23 upon contact of the portions 23e and 26h. It will be seen, therefore, that when the operating lever 23 is depressed, the portion 23e abuts against the portion 26h, rocking the lever 26 in a counter-clock-v wise direction against the compression of the 50 spring 28. The pin 2'I rides up the plane 20a,

rocking the bell crank lever 20 in a counter clockwise direction, exerting a pull 0n the ribbon I6,

and thus pulling the plate I2 downwardly. Upon' release of the operating lever, the springs I5 55 and the spring 28 return the respective parts to their original position.

Referring now to Figure 3, at 29 and 29a on the plate I2, are mounted the links 30 and 3l, the upper ends of which are connected by a cradle shaped link 32. The stopy pins 33 and 34 on the plate I2 are adapted to be abutted by the ears 33a, and 34a on the cradle shaped member 32 to limit the movement thereof to the right and left respectively. In order to resiliently maintain the assembly 30-3I-32 in either the right or left hand position, I have provided a form of dead center mechanism.A The links 35 and 36 are pivoted to the member 32 at 35a. and 36a respectively, and are provided with slots 31 and 38 within which the headed pins 39 and 40, which are mounted on the plate I2, are adapted to ride.

Springs 4I and 42 connect the upper ends of the links 35 and 36 with ears 4Ia and 42a on the plate i2. Thus the springs 4I and 42 tend to keep the assembly in the position shown in Figure 3, until by means which will be described hereinafter, the assembly is swung to the left, so that the pivot points 35a and 36a arrive on the other side of the center lines of the springs 4I and 42 respectively, when the same action as above described will again tend to maintain the status quo.

Also pivoted at the junctures of the links 30 and SI with the member 32. are the pawls 43. and 44 which are provided with tail portions 43a and 44a respectively. Small springs 45 and 46 connect these tails with the member 32, and tend to keep the pawls in engagement with the ratchets 9a and IIa respectively, when the member 32 is in one or the other of its rest positions. As viewed in Figure 3, .when the plate I2 is pulled downwardly as before described, the pawl 43 will ride over the teeth ofthe ratchet IIa, and on the return stroke ofthe plate I2, will dig in and rotate the ratchet IIain a clockwise direction, thus feeding the type ribbon onto the reel II. When the reel I I is completely wound up and of course the reel kSi is completely unwound, the former and its ratchet ila will resist further rotation. Assuming now that the plate I2 has been pulled downwardly, on its return stroke the movement of the pawl 43'will be resisted. The pavvl 43 andthe link 3i) then act as a toggle and shift the assembly SQ-SI-BZ to the left, to the other side of dead center, wherebythe pawl 44 is brought into position to act upon the ratchet 9a in the same manner as was described in connection with the pawl 43 and the ratchet Ila.

It is to be understood that except insofar as made a part of the claims which follow, the type of machine to which my novel ribbon feeding mechanism is applied forms no limitation upon my invention, and that different forms of my preferred embodiment may be made without departing. from the spirit of my invention.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. In a time stamp having a type ribbon, a mechanism for feeding the same, and an operating handle, an operative connection between the said handle and the said mechanism comprising a steel ribbon.

2. In a time stamp` having a type ribbon, a mechanism for feeding the same, and an operating handle, an operative connection between the said handle and the said mechanism comprising a thin flexible member having a relatively high tensile strength.

3. In a time stamp having a type ribbon, a mechanism for feeding the same, said mechanism comprising a slidably mounted plate adapted at each reciprocation to feed said type ribbon, and an operating handle for making an impression by cooperation with said ribbon, a connection comprising aV thin flexible member having a relatively .high tensile strength between said operating handle' and said plate, whereby said plate is reciprocated at each actuation of said handle, for the purpose described.

4. In a time stamp having a type ribbon, a mechanism for feeding the same, said mechanism comprising a slidably mounted plate adapted at each reciprocation to feed said type ribbon, andan operating handle for making an impression by cooperation with said ribbon, a connection comprisinga steel ribbon between said operating handle and said plate, whereby said plate is reciprocated at each actuation of said handle, for the purpose described. i

5. In a time stamp having a 'type ribbon, a mechanism for feeding the same, and an operating handle, an operative connection between the said handle and the said mechanism comprising a thin flexible member-having a relatively high tensile strength, anda. spring.

6. In a time stamp comprising a casing, an operating handle, a type ribbonand means for feedingl the same, an operative connection betweenthe said handle and the said feeding means comprising'a steel ribbon, and means to cause the said ribbon to conform its path substantially tothe outline'of the housing. iY 7. In a Ytime stamp comprising a casing, an operating handle, a type ribbon and means for feeding the same, an operative connection between the said handle and-the said feeding means comprising a steel ribbon, and means to cause the said ribbon to conform its path substantially to the-outline of the housing, said last mentioned means comprising members fastened to the casing and Vbridging the ribbon, andhaving curved guide portions about which said ribbon is passed in changing direction thereof.

JOSEPH W. FARIS. 

